[Wylug-discuss] Which? magazine

[John]

On Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 10:07:53AM +0000, Paul Brook wrote:
> > Books/etc tend to cost more than the digital stuff but get passed to
> > others (via charity shop in many cases), which over time may make them
> > better or worse value.  As the digital stuff is fairly cheap does it
> > really matter if it's not allowed to be passed on?
> 
> Unless it's changes recently (within the lay year) ebooks often cost more than 
> a physical paperback, sometimes as much as a hardback.

I didn't know that (I'm not an early or even late adopter in this case).
How odd.

> Likewise buying a bunch of sparate tracks on iTunes often costs more than 
> getting the whole album posted to you on CD.  I've never used iTunes so I 
> don't know whether it's possible to buy albums at more reasonable rates, or if 
> doing so refunds the initial cost of any duplicates.

Pass.

> I also think it's a mistake to focus too much on passing things on.  How many 
> of us actually want to listen to our grandparent's music collection ;-)  IMHO 
> a more pressing concern is that when the phone/tablet/application/service you 
> used to purchase the licence dies (or is eaten), then there's a good chance 
> your DRM key wil go with it.

Exactly.  I want to be able to convert formats and whatever else is
needed (such as DRM keys) to move devices/media to retain my ownership.
And I want to do that with a minimum of fuss and no expense.

I think I mean even if that ownership is restricted in some ways, though
I need easily to know in advance of purchase what the restrictions are.
There again, if I can't easily find that out in advance, chances are the
rights owner could not enforce their claimed rights (and would be stupid
to try as case afer case round the world has shown).

I'm horrified that the author/artist gets so little but the big company
gets so much.  This is not what was intended when Copyright was first
created.  It is not what used to happen way back then.  It needs to
change and I hope more IP creators will self-publish or that low
charging (say 25%; creator gets 75%) publishers will appear.

John